Liquid wood-expanding composition



hire rat This invention relates to a liquid wood-expanding composition and the method of preparing the same.

Any liquid, including water, will swell wood temporarily. But it does not aifect the basic wood structure itself, as it only swells the fibrous content temporarily until it dries and shrinks again. Older methods of tightening loose piano tuning pins, that have been used for years, rely upon the water swelling principle; using glycerine as the active ingredient, which is a chemical which does not dry.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a Wood-expanding composition that will cause a joint, or dowel in hole, or grooved connection to be tightened in minutes rather than days or weeks, and stay tightened permanently.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid wood-expanding composition that will almost instantly on a thorough application thereof to a piano pin block opening cause a loose tuning pin to be retained tightly in the piano pin block whereby the piano can be tuned and kept tuned as well as a piano with a normal pin block.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a liquid wood-expanding composition for treating wood joints without having to remove the parts, as when regluing.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a liquid wood-expanding or wood-swelling composition that will not rust the metal part, such as a metal pin or screw, when fixed to the wood.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a liquid wood-expanding composition that can be used in place of glue or adhesive by expanding wood joints and is also compatible with the existing glue in the joints.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wood expanding composition that will remain dry and never mushy as with the glycerine base products used heretofore and which is non-toxic, non-inflammable, moisture resistant, and does not rot the wood but rather restores the wood with natural ingredients of wood.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a liquid wood-treating solution that can close certain wood cracks, as in a piano soundboard without injury to tone quality.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a liquid wood-treating composition by which antiques and old furniture can be quickly and satisfactorily repaired.

The ingredients of this composition are the liquid content of the pulp of raw white potato, white granulated sugar, dry yeast, white vinegar, glycerine in small quantity, refined linseed oil, pure oil of pine and denatured grain alcohol.

The basic chemical formula for the base liquid in parts by volume is as follows:

Patented Jan. 14, 19%4 The preparation of this composition is effected in the following manner. Raw white potato is pulverized and is strained through a fine sieve to obtain the liquid content thereof. To one part by volume of this potato liquid content, there is added an equal one part by volume of granulated sugar. To this mixture there is added a onesixteenth part of dry yeast by volume. This mixture is then placed in a glass or earthen container and kept covered, except when stirring, and allowed to set and work from twenty to thirty days at normal room temperature until the solid matter has gravitated to the bottom of the container causing the full separation of the liquid from the solid matter. One and one-half parts by volume of white vinegar is added to this cured solution and the solution is boiled in a non-metallic vessel for about forty-five mintues at a temperature of approximately two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. While the solution is still hot, there is added by volume the one-quarter part of linseed oil and the one part of glycerine. The boiling is then continued for one and three quarters hours at the same temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit, to complete the processing of the base solution.

Before using the composition, there is added to one quart of this base solution, one and one-half quarts of white vinegar, one and one-half tuarts of denatured grain alcohol and one-quarter pint, or one-eighth part of pure oil of pine. The finished compo -on is now bottled and upon being shaken well in the bottle is made ready for use.

The potato supplies the starch and carbon and gives to the wood fibers their resilience. The sugar preserves the chemical solution against molecular changes of spoil while the yeast has sped the fermentation of these basic ingredients. T he glycerine used here only in small amount and not for the swelling action, sustains the moisture content of the wood and prevents the solution from drying quickly until full reactivation of the basic wood cells has taken place. The linseed oil preserves the wood against humidity and prevents deterioration of the wood and metal rust. The oil of pine is a deodorant and as well preserves the wood while the added white vinegar and alcohol act as a solvent thinner.

The white vinegar when the composition is applied to the wood sets up instant gas pressure in the pores of the wood causing their instant expansion. The gas pressure is calculated to sustain the expansion of the wood until such time that the basic Wood cells are opened suficiently to receive the basic natural materials of the comp sition, such as the starch and carbon. The cells are in this manner enlarged and given their normal shape. This vinegar while primarily functioning to expand the wood acts particularly as a solvent for the starch so that the starch is taken into the cells with the vinegar.

The eifect of the composition takes place in three stages. In the first stage, the Wood is caused to expand upon application of the composition due to the gas pressure that is set up in the pores and cells of the Wood by penetration of the vinegar into them and are sealed. There is a gripping action effected immediately at this time. Within twelve to fifteen hours, there is the second stage which allows for continuing deeper penetration of the composition liquid thereby creating still more gaseous pressure in the wood. T his pressure is calculated or timed to sustain expansion for twenty to thirty days that is re quired to reach the third and final stage of the treatment. In the final stage, the basic wood cells will have been nourished and reactivated and will have resumed their normal shape. At this final stage, the wood will have become dried and placed in a permanent condition so that it is effected far less by seasonal changes in temperature and humidity than it has been. The wood cells will have been filled to support the fibrous structure of the wood and they will be kept constantly filled despite atmospheric change Not only is the liquid composition particularly useful for correcting loose piano tuning pins in the piano pin blocl; but can be used in the grand and upright actions of the piano to tighten instantly the parts thereof without having to remove the part, reglue, clamp or squeeze fit the same. The composition tightens loose screws, buttons, hinges, legs, damper bloclts, bridge pins as well as loose benches of dowel or groove construction, allowing the same to be instantly assembled, and made ready for immediate use without gluing, clamping and waiting. Tools with loose handles and stripped screw holes can also be fixed with this composition. Sympathetic vibrations or buzzes in the piano can be halted by applying the liquid to the bridge or to a slight crack in a sound board without injury to the tone quality. lumpy or popping piano tuning pins, even in new pianos, can be instantly corrected.

if a hole is drill d into a dry piece of seasoned Wood large enough so that a pin or screw may be dropped through the hole completely, it has been found with the present composition applied to this hole, that it will swell the hole in a matter of minutes so that not only will the screw not pass through the hole but it cannot be turned herein by hand. The liquid is preferably applied with a clean glass eye dropper to the top of piano tuning pins allowing the liquid to how evenly down all sides or" the pin into its openings in the pin board. The liquid should be added until more of it fails to sink into the wood. The results are in direct proportion to the amount of the liquid which actually enters the wood. It grease, oil or other chemicals, such as glycerine have been used upon the pins or joints, several applications of the composition liquid may be necessary and a longer time allowed for the liquid to counteract and neutralize the glycerine, oil or grease.

This liquid composition can also be used on new wood to keep the wood from shrinking. The composition is compatible wits existing glue in joints. The expansion caused by the vinegar is calculated to run until such time that a large body of basic wood cells have become reactivated causing them to enlarge and resume their normal size, shape and function.

The liquid composition has thus reactivated the basic wood cells and has replaced in them the chemical elements which had been lost when the wood dried out. The liquid has restored the resilience of the wood and given new life to the fibers and cells thereof.

While various changes may be made in the composition formula and in the ethod by which it is prepared, it should be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of preparing a liquid wood-expanding composition which consists of fermenting the liquid content of one part of raw white potato one part of, white sugar and one-sixteenth part of dry yeast over a period of twenty to thirty days at normal room temperature while keeping stirred, thereafter adding one and one-half parts oivinegar and boiling for forty-five minutes at a temperature of approximately two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit and thereafter adding one-fourth part of linseed oil and one part of glycerine and continuing boiling for one and three-quarters hour at the same boiling temperature and cooling at a temperature range of from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 72 degrees Fahrenheit over a period of approximately ten days setting the solution during the same period and finally mixing with the resultant base solution with one and one-half parts of vinegar one-eighth part of pine oil and one and one-half parts of grain alcohol to thin the base liquid preparatory for use.

2. The method or" preparing a liquid Wood-expanding com osition which consists of fermenting by volume one part of the liquid content of raw White potato, one part of white granulated sugar, and one sixteenth part of dry yeast for a period of twenty to thirty days at room temperature while keeping stirred, thereafter adding one and one-half parts of white vinegar and boiling at forty-five minutes at a temperature of two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit, then further adding one-fourth part of refined linseed oil and one part of glycerine and continue the boiling for one and three-quarters hours at the same boiling temperature and finally llowing to cool and set over a period of approximately ten days.

3. The method of preparing a liquid wood-expanding composition as defined in claim 2, and thereafter adding to one quart of the resultant solution one quart of vinegar, one-quarter pint of pure oil of pine and one quart of denatured grain alcohol to thin the solution preparatory for use.

Meade Sept. 12, 1899 Milburn Apr. 10, 1917 

1. THE METHOD OF PREPARING A LIQUID WOOD-EXPANDING COMPOSITION WHICH CONSISTS OF FERMENTING THE LIQUID CONTENT OF ONE PART OF RAW WHITE POTATO ONE PART OF, WHITE SUGAR AND ONE-SIXTEENTH PART OF DRY YEAS OVER A PERIOD OF TWENTY TO THIRTY DAYS AT NORMAL ROOM TEMPERATURE WHILE KEEPING STIRRED, THEREAFTER ADDING ONE AND ONE-HALF PARTS OF VINEGAR AND BOILING FOR FORTY-FIVE MINUTES AT A TEMPERATURE OF APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THEREAFTER ADDING ONE-FOURTH PART OF LINSEED OIL AND ONE PART OF GLYCERINE AND CONTINUING BOILING FOR ONE AND THREE-QUARTERS HOUR AT THE SAME BOILING TEMPERATURE AND COOLING AT A TEMPERATURE RANGE OF FROM 68 DEGREES OF APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS SETTING THE SOLUTION DURING THE SAME PERIOD AND FINALLY MIXING WITH THE RESULTANT BASE SOLUTION WITH ONE AND ONE-HALF PARTS OF VINEGAR ONE-EIGHTH PART OF PINE OIL AND ONE AND ONE-HALF PARTS OF GRAIN ALCOHOL TO THIN THE BASE LIQUID PREPARATORY FOR USE. 